Zamora goal gives Curbishley reason to smile

Nervy, edgy, frantic and desperate. West Ham fans can hardly expect survival to come any other way. But the other ingredient evident here was a vital bravery. Even as they led inside the final 10 minutes, Alan Curbishley's team continued to press. And, when the fourth official added an agonising six extra minutes, his side were stout enough to hold on for a final whistle that began serious celebration among the delirious home support. Even Curbishley, hardly the biggest comic on the circuit, felt jolly enough to attempt some levity.

'We've given ourselves a chance,' he began, offering no warning that he was about to wander off-message from the regulation manager-speak he does so well. 'But at quarter-to-five next week it can all change round. That's what I said in the dressing room.'

Now came the jollity. Having begun without a reserve keeper - the second time, he said, in more than 750 matches as a manager - Robert Green hurt his fingers on 35 minutes. 'When that happened someone on the bench said bring Ludo on,' Curbishley deadpanned, referring to Ludo Miklosko, the former West Ham keeper who is now the goalkeeping coach. While that was hardly Frank Carson or Jimmy Krankie, it did draw a laugh. Quizzed what went through his mind when those six minutes were raised Curbishley said: 'I thought Graham Poll was in charge.' And even if being there was not quite enough to fully appreciate the humour directed at the official who famously gave Croatia's Josip Simunic three yellows during last summer's World Cup, it was heartening to see the lines on Curbishley's face crease into a rare smile.

Yet, after the draw between Charlton and Sheffield United, and the defeat of next week's opponents, Wigan, giving his club a real chance, the manager was quick to slip back into professional mode, emphasising a few times the 'need for the team to do this now in our last three games, starting Saturday'.

Everton, meanwhile, had arrived also desperate for a victory that would have consolidated the fifth position that guarantees Uefa Cup football next term. But, after their fans were serenaded with 'You'll never get a job, Sign on, Sign on' to the tune more commonly heard at hated rivals Liverpool, they ended finding comfort in the defeat of Bolton, who are just behind them.

'I'm disappointed not to come away with something,' said David Moyes, the Everton manager. 'We didn't start very well but after the opening 30 minutes I thought we improved and played well enough in the second half to come away with something.'

His team certainly created chances. But in the end, it was Bobby Zamora's strike and the inability of the visitors - particularly James Beattie - to put away opportunities that confirmed the result. The striker's goal came when he collected from Yossi Benayoun and let fly a left-foot shot from outside the area. That was 13 minutes in. Everton had already lost Andy Johnson by then and it was the striker's absence they ended rueing for all those missed chances that weren't converted. The West Ham fans hardly cared. They left singing the Bubbles song, ready for a good night with real hope of avoiding the drop.

Man of the match

Bobby Zamora

The match was entertaining but lacked an outstanding player. The striker deserves it for scoring a goal that might prove as valuable as the one that took West Ham into this division via the play-off final two seasons ago. He deserves to survive any cull .